The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1887-06-23
THE WONDERFUL CAVE
Which Furnished Nitro for Confederats
Guppowder. =
Atlanta Constitution.

Which Furnished Nitre for Confederats
Guppowder.
Atlantc Constitution. ~
ROME, Ga, June 14.-Mr. w. O..
Cooper furnishes to the Detroit Free Press
an interesting article on cave in Barr
tow County, In which he says:
"Within mile on two of Sherman's
route to Atlanta, there is in Barlow
County; Ga, cavern Of considerable
historic interest. We first hear of it in
1885, when handful Of Cherokee In
dians, who had incurred the displeasure
of band of highwaymen known as The
Pony Club found refuge in the cave
until (he, were rescued by some regula.7
tors. In those days the walls and roofs
of the passages we're white, and their
stalactites rivaled in beauty the icicles
which formed about the mountain cas-
cades; but since the workmeu, in getting
out saltpeter for the gunpowder Of thef
Confederate army, built great fires of
pitch pine, and filled the cave With
smoke, those dark passages and gloomy
chambers, with their sooty walls, give
one the impression that he is APPROACH
ing Vulcan's forge, and the black stalact-s
ties in all their fantastic shapes seems to-
be the handiwork of that grim artisan.
Though these objects do not resembles
thunderbolts, some of them have been
knocked off and made into bolts no less.
destructive. OF late Vulcan eems9to,
have abandoned the place to Pluto, who
made his presence known last year by.
tearing up the floor and breaking apillar
in the lowest chamber. There was mo-
other creature in the cave but a winged
beast which loved darkness rather than
light, and must have been ono of Pluto's
little angels.
"The approach to the entrance is BY g.
lonely road between wild hills, whose
aspect is go cherries, aud the signing Of
the wind in their thickets so mournful,
that man almost believes he is going 10
an awful doom. After going mp the hill
for hundred yards, one is suddenly con-.
fronted by an opening ten feet square,
and had skull and cross.tones been
placed above it, hs could not look into
that dark and broadening abyss with
darker and more internal passages, with.
out feeling cold horror at the thought
of exploring Hades.
"aWith good rejecting lamp We de-
scended a rough incline at an angle OF
forty. five degrees, until we were seventy
FIVE feet below the opening. Thereof
was not go much inclined, and the mouth
widened to sixty feet at the bottom, so as.
to form large chamber. Beyond this
the floor was smooth and the roof only
twelve feet high. At this place the pic
nicers have often danced, and it's known
as the ball room.' From there we pass
ed through several large rooms, one .of
which was nearly 100 feet wide, with a.
roof fifty feet high in one place. The
floor was atrewn with rock fragments, and:
in passing out we had to climb round
rough powders. After ascending asteep.
slippery place for about fifteen feet, We
were confronted by an immense stalag.
mite in the shape of cone, eight, feet In
diameter at the base and twelve feet high.
Above it q cluster of stalsctites resembledI
chandelier. On the right and left were
openings into q small chamber, behind
the cone. Returning thence We wentup
the main passage at an angle of forty
FIVE degrees and came to circular group
of stone icicles six to eight feet long.
They reminded me Of the illustration: Of
the 'Saracen's tent Of Luray cave, and
one Of them by itself formed q horae's
leg with knee and thigh almost perfect.
Passing several pillars and a smaller cone
we descended by steps cut in the rock to
chamber with vaulted roof and level
floor. Directly over the entrance was 9
hole twenty inches in diameter and about.
six feet deep. From this place a very
low arch twenty feet wide let us into ..
passage connecting with the main en-
trance. Returning to the big cone ne.
passed through large room full of'rock
fragments into a chamber, from which
we ascended by q fifteen.foot ladder TO q
small hole large enough to ocrawl through
From it we emerged into long passage.
at the end of which daylight appeared.
Fifty yards farther in that direction was
the Jug formed by stalagmite three
feet thick and six feet high, with q neck.
formed by pendant from the roof. The
handle had been formed in the same way.
and was afterwards broken off by some
explorer. At the foot of the jug was 9
small spring of clear, cool water, which.
was very refreshing after two hours of
hard climbing. A few yards further We
ascended sixty feet by an incline and
came out of the small entrance. The air
above ground seemed very oppressive,
| and we we're glad to sit down and eat our
lunch. Afterwards another hour was
spent in exploring passage on the right
of the main entrance. After following
| it for fifty yards we came to a deep pit
With a passage around one side and q
shelving ledge on the left. By climbing
cautiously around on the ledge we got
into chamber walled in by masses OF
stalactites, and overhead chandelier
was formed by cluster Of those wonder.
full stone icicles. The two entrances
we're separated by huge pillar ten feet
thick, evidently formed by drippings.
Afterwards we descended on the right of
the pit into the earthquake room,' where
there were unmistakable signs of slip.